My apologies for not having written in the kid’s section of my website for a little while, so in order to make things up to you, I decided to bring together a few things that are going to be enjoyed not only by your kids, but possibly by you, as a parent, as well.

Ohyo: this clever collapsible bottle in made by a British team and is both practical and cool at the same time. You can make this bottle as small ( fits in your pocket or bag ) or as big ( can fit up to 500 mls of fluid in it ) as you like, it comes in four colours–green, pink, blue and white, is dishwasher safe, as well as BPA-free. We all keep on buying new plastic cups for our kids, from initial formula bottles to sippy cups to kids cups/flasks/bottles that through no fault of their own eventually end up in the trash, so why not choose something that is practical, fun ( appeals to both toddlers, as well as grumpy teens and even adults aren’t immune to the bottles charms) and it will last you a while. There are also plenty of water fountains around London and UK where you can refill this bottle or you can even use it as hand-held weights while working out-just a thought on my part .)

Badger Balm: this brand has been a long-time favourite of mine, I use their sleep balm when I feel tired, their muscle rub when a muscle aches after a particularly intense workout or the aromatic chest rub when a cold is rearing up its head. I have been using Badger Baby Balm for soothing kids skin but until now haven’t been aware that the brand also does sun protection for kids and babies. Luckily for me, Badger Balm team was very informative during my conversation with them at the Natural & Organic Show and I was a very lucky recipient of their latest addition to the range, Daily Kids Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Lotion in a soothing Aloe Vera base. Many children sun protection creams and lotions leave a thick, white residue on their skin, as well as block their pores, leading to rashes and general grievances but this product has been wonderful from the moment I started applying it, when British sun finally decided to grace us with its presence. It is 100 % certified natural and 87% certified organic and has both UVA and UVB protection. It comes in a really nicely designed bio-degradable squeezable bottle and the actual lotion is non-nano. It has a light-weight texture that sinks in very quickly, it isn’t greasy and it smells of tangerine & vanilla, that particularly seems to appeal to kids.

Childs Farm: this brand prides itself on being inspired by the countryside and creates products that smell as good, as they look in the bathroom. The ingredients are carefully selected to nurture children’s delicate skin & scalps, to create joyful or calming sensory experiences and the bottles are easy to open and close, if your children are asserting their independence with ‘Mum, I can do it myself!’ during bath time.

You have bubble baths scented for girls and boys and there are also hair & body washes/shampoos/conditioners to appeal to both. My favourite product at the moment is ‘Caked in Mud‘ hair and body washthat contains argan oil and as my kids keep on telling me every evening: ‘Mum, I want to use my orange smelling bubble bath’. The product lingers on the skin, adding a really lovely, light scent and moisturising the skin as well. What also appeals to me, as a mother, is the fact that Childs Farm doesn’t use parabens, SLS, mineral oils or artificial colours in the range. I also admire the drive and conviction of Joanna Jensen, the founder of the brand, who is very passionate about her brand and making sure that youngsters are given the best start in life in terms of nutritional and skincare choices.

The products also make beautiful birthday gifts for kids of various ages and I have a few girlfriends who were completely enchanted that I chose ‘boy & girl gift sets’ for their kids birthday,s instead of the usual toys-it makes a memorable impression and lasts longer that a child’s interest in a particular toy.

Jack’N’Jill Natural Toothpaste: I came across this range on natural toothpastes for kids at a recent Natural & Organic Show at Olympia. They are made by the husband ( pharmacist ) and wife team who make it that mission to formulate a safe, effective and delicious tasting toothpaste for kids.

Most of the toothpastes that I know of, contain ingredients like fluoride, sodium lauryl sulphate and saccharin, as well as artificial colours. Jack’n’Jill ones don’t contain fluoride, SLS, preservatives, colour, sugar, mint ( adults love mint and it certainly feels quite refreshing in our mouth but many kids find it too strong for their much gentler taste palate ) or animal products. They come in four certified organic flavours:

–strawberry –blueberry –banana –raspberry

Those toothpaste contain silica, which acts as a mild abrasive ( when used in conjunction with a toothbrush-but make sure your kids toothbrush is soft, so it doesn’t harm their enamel or gums ) and they do taste so nice I actually don’t mind using it myself ( so far strawberry and banana flavours got tested in my household and both got thumbs up ).

Each toothpaste comes in a recyclable, BPA free,squeezable tube but I am going to be honest here and say that ours got ‘cracked’ after a few uses at the base, where the tube is connected to the cap and I had to use sellotape to try to fix it, not very successfully might I add. To be fair, that’s the only drawback and I will continue buying this toothpaste rather than another well-established brand purely based on the quality of ingredients and long-term safety.

Hi Galina,
Your birthday presents of Child Farm’s big bottles of shampoo and shower gels to my children earlier this year have been a big hit here. My kids love the smell of tangerine in their bath ( and the fact that there is one pink for C and one blue for O despite being the same bath gel) and they both demand to have their hair ‘washed with the strawberry smell’. I of course couldn’t resist giving it a try. I love it too so you can guess what I have chosen as stocking fillers for my best friends’ children this year!
I am wrapping 3 big bottles ( shampoo + blue bath + pink bath) and the new mini hand lotion for each family. I can’t believe I bought 16 bottles!! ahaha you see how you have inspired me 🙂
Karine xx